Marathons & Medical School

A quick trip

2012-02-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

We darted out of Birmingham at 5pm on Friday to make it down to Dothan in time for an AM-azing late dinner with the Bess family consisting of crab cakes and lobster. Yummmm. I think I'm going to crave crab cakes for weeks now.

Saturday Kyle enjoyed some fishing while Lilo ran around the farm, sat on my lap, and never let me out of her sight. Lilo is falling in love with us now, almost as much as we love her. Life is good.

Sunday we came back, dropped her off, ran to church, came home, and watched the game with some friends from med school. Ok, you're right, they boys watched it and the girls talked. Oh and I learned about some AWESOME sites-- anyone heard of e-meals or stitchfix.com? Go check them out. Pretty neat. More on those later...

So it's the WEEK OF the marathon and I'm starting my carb loading now. My excuse to eat lots of carbs!!! Here's to taking it easy, resting and sleeping lots!

gotta love instagram #febphotoaday

a racoon and a speedo

2012-02-02T20:36:00.004-06:00

Can I just start off by saying how beautiful it's been here lately in Alabama?? 65-70 degrees. Perfection. Last night's warm 6 mile run felt good. We did run into (no pun intended) a surprise though... there we were just running down the sidewalk when Stephanie exclaims "uhhhh that's a raccoon dude!" I freak out and jump off the sidewalk, which I'm sure all the cars driving by got a kick out of. But who runs into a raccoon, seriously? weird.

Another thing. And let me vent for a minute. Ok, so there is this new IRONTRIBE place that's being built 2 blocks from my office. After analyzing the huge billboard that marks my exit, I figured out just what it was and I felt like a kid on Christmas-- a CROSSFIT gym!! Perfection again. Then I remember how expensive it is, but still keep my fingers crossed as I dial up to find out more information. SO I talk to the guy who tells me that the minimum is $230 a month. YES $230 PER MONTH. AND you can only go 3 times a week with that package. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Why in the world do these Crossfit gyms get away with this outrageousness? I didn't know you had to be wealthy to participate. It just makes no sense to me. And I basically told that to the guy on the phone when he asked just how that fit into my budget. Uhhh considering my husband is in med school, that's not gonna fly. Don't try crossfit bc you'll fall in love and want to join. don't fall into their trap people! haha you can't say I didn't warn you.

For now I'll stick to my running, biking, and swimming and my $20 gym membership. Oh and I did get a new swimsuit. finally replaced my high school one. Thank you Costco for your $21.95 Speedo even if it is ugly. Totally worth it.

I would rather buy new running clothes. What can I say?

10 days people. 10 days.

the course

2012-01-30T18:51:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was grum-py. I woke up at 5:30am on a sunday morning to go run. In the cold. And dark. I did not want to do this. My only motivation? My curiosity about the course.

So 6:30 am rolls around and steph and I strap on our new gu belts to give them a try, and head off with the hundred or so others on our half marathon endeavor to see just what we are in for in 2 weeks. We got a taste of the hills, potent yellow gatorade (yum!), and mile markers where we are planning on planting our family members/fan base.

We finished 13.1 at 1:49 averaging 8:26 pace. And then started going through all the scenarios of what can happen for us to still get sub 4, or not get sub 4. Sub 4 stands the goal as of now. But we shall see. The real goal is just to finish!!! That's what it should be for your first one, right? duh.

So my feelings as of now: The first half you run through the ghetto! seriously?! So ugly. And I would never want to run there alone. hmmm... First half is definitely harder than the second half. Good thing. There is a pretty decent hill around mile 6 and 19, but nothing we can't handle.

Afterwards I came home and took a hot shower, layed on the bed for a minute, started to fall asleep until Kyle came and woke me up to tell me we had to leave in 20 minutes, raced to church, tried to keep my eyes open, came home from church and crashed for 2 hours and I'm pretty sure I could've slept all night.

Not sure what I'll feel like after the race. Sleep for 24 hours straight possibly? Now on to watch the Bachelor. Happy Monday!

Getting down to business

2012-01-27T20:55:00.003-06:00

Let's talk running.

So I haven't been too faithful in blogging about it (for the 3 people who read this that are interested in the running aspect), and now that I'm 2 weeks away, I'm hoping I trained hard enough. Did enough. Ran fast enough. Ran enough miles. Etc. But now, there's no going back. ONLY 2 weeks!! 2 weeks!!

Last weekend was the last 20-miler before the race. However I only made it 16.5 and was extremely sore Monday. Thanks to crossfit on Saturday. Bad idea. Well great idea if you know what I mean. I swear my arms are still sore. But I have to say, I think that + the long run made me stronger and totally = 20 miles, right? I hope so. I've justified it.

Monday I slept in and couldn't walk normal.

Tuesday-50 minutes spinning.

Wednesday- 6 miles (1 mi warm up, 5 miles at 7:50...ish)

Thursday- 30 minutes spinning, 30 minutes swim

Friday- 8 miles (1.5 mi warm up, 400 sprint/400 in between 8x)

And Sunday we're running the course! I'm not sure if it will be a good or bad thing, but it'll be awesome bc they are setting up the water stations, gu, etc and it's a practice run for all the marathoners. However, it's only 1 of the 2 loops we'll be doing on race day. I'll be sure I figure out where mile 22ish will be so I can tell kyle to be there SCREAMING my name so I don't give up.

Any advice from runners on your first marathon?

1st week home

2012-01-22T19:41:00.003-06:00

1st off, let me re-introduce you to Lilo Nacho Bess. Yes, we re-named her a little more femine of name but kept the "o" sound since she recognized it. And she loves it now. She knows her name like she was born with it. We, I mean I, also added a little bow in her hair. awwww

Her first week home was an adjustment for her. and us. I ran home every day at lunch to take her on a walk, and our week pretty much revolved around this pup. She panted a little and is still learning the whole "potty outside only" rule, but really and truly, she is a sweet sweet dog. Never barks and is very sensitive. She LOVES to sit on her blanket on the couch or bed with us and would snuggle all day if you let her.

She also took a weekend trip to Atlanta to visit her aunt Sophie. They were very nice to each other. And already friends. See?!

She likes to hide from us sometimes too. This was not set up.

Besides Lilo, school, and work, we had such a fun weekend in GA celebrating mom's bday. I also have only 3 weeks until the marathon! It's getting close. This weekend was the last long run (over 15 miles) and I can't believe it. More on that this week...

Accomplished.

2012-01-15T14:54:00.006-06:00

Kyle and I set some goals for 2012. One of those was to get a puppy. And now look where we are...

Last Monday I contacted a breeder for a Norfolk Terrier that was an hour away to see if she was having a litter this summer. She emailed me back and told me that she was! And the puppies would be here in May. Perfect timing. The next day she sent me a note and said that she did have a 5 year old Norwich Terrier up for adoption though if we were interested. Hmmm. So the conversation went on all week as we exchanged questions, lifestyles, habits, and interests of both parties-- us and the dog. She wanted to make sure she was going to go to a good home.

We had never really considered adopting a dog, but we figured it was worth a shot to at least go meet her and the breeder. What did we have to lose, right? We "were just going to look at her."

We got there and sweet little Nacho (the name is the only thing I don't love about her) was looking at us with her cute brown eyes and stole our hearts. Kyle quickly turned to me and said, "we're taking her home tonight." And this picture perfectly describes how I was feeling.

Nervous. We didn't have a crate, food, leash, or anything when we left with Nacho last night. It breaks my heart thinking we took her from her home (of 20 other dogs and several horses on a huge farm in Tuscaloosa), but she needed a new home and more attention. Her mom was an award winning show dog, and this little pup has been very well taken care of! Almost too well. She has a few pounds she could lose. But we like her little pot belly!

And then there were 3.

thoughts for the day.

2012-01-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

#1- Can I get a Roll Tide? I live in Alabama now. I have to say it since they won. Again.

Oh and how about Mitt Romney? Yeah man.

Today was, well, rainy. Again. And I'm tired of it. Where's the sun these days? I could never live in Seattle.

Who runs 10 miles on a weekday night anyways? Geez, I'm tired.

So tired in fact, I had eggs and cereal for dinner.

Oh and shouldn't Martin Luther King be a state holiday here in Alabama? I live in Alabama now. C'mon.

I'm sounding really negative, but I really am happy bc...

I'm getting my hair done Saturday and about to get new running shoes.

In the past 5 days I've ran 36 miles. I think I used to do that many miles over 3 weeks.

The Miss America Pageant is Saturday night. Don't forget! ;)

Oh and in case your morning radio show didn't inform you, Hostess filed for bankruptcy. No more twinkies my friends. not like I ever eat them, but still.

saturday's high & a funny t-shirt

2012-01-07T13:47:00.008-06:00

This morning we went out for the first really long run of the year. A 20-miler. And it was awesome! I'm still on my runner's high, can you tell? The pain is not nearly as intense on my joints and there's still a month to go! wahoo!!! So, on with the training! Did I mention I got some fun running gear for Christmas that I l.o.v.e. Naturally, I had to take a picture in honor of my new arm warmers, right? right.

Kyle told me I looked intense w/ the arm warmers. I say you can wear whatever you want while training for a marathon. especially cool running gear. hello. it helps.

You might see this outfit again on race day bc today was a trial run. I've been told not to change a THING on race day. Not your headband, sports bra, watch, shirt, shorts, socks, shoes, gu, drink, anything. You don't want any surprises or your shirt rubbing you raw around mile 24. ouch.

Oh and for the record, the training here this "winter" has been perfect! A tank top and capris in January? yes please! I did sport my BYU wind breaker for the first 10 miles because the rain was threatening us. But glad to say it never followed through.

FUNNIEST thing I saw while running today... and worth a mention on the blog no doubt... an african american woman in her 30s, overweight, walking on the trail wearing a shirt very similar to this

Annndd she was WALKING. slow. bahahah.

And last but not least, a word of advice:

(love, pinterest)

2012

2012-01-02T15:22:00.002-06:00

2011 was exciting!

We lived up our last semester in Utah like never before-- snowboarding, family time, trip to Moab, and doing the St. George tri on our way out.

We lived up the summer even more-- at the beach, lake, and in between AL and GA

We were forced to be adults again in the fall-- Kyle started med school and I got a job that I love

And now the year is over. Seriously? Can life slow down a little please.

2012 is looking pretty good so far. I'm running my 1st marathon in 6 weeks, Kyle will finish his first year of medical school, we'll hopefully get a puppy and move to a new, bigger place this summer. And who knows what else...

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:38:00.004-06:00

Love, Kyle and Mekelle

training update-- 1/2 way there

2011-12-23T15:00:00.002-06:00

I had a dream the other night that my running partner bailed on me, I forgot all my gu (my only source of energy while running long distances), AND got lost during the marathon. Lost, during a race! I sure hope there are more people around me than there was in my dream. I mean nightmare.

I'm officially half way through the marathon training. Have I followed every single workout exactly as instructed by the book? no. You try it during the Thanksgiving holidays and Christmas. It's tough. But I'm making sure to keep very very close to what I'm supposed to do. Like last week-- needed to do 18 miles on Saturday while I was home. Instead did 12 and an hour of crossfit. I think that counts.... ;) Which, by the way, I wish i had the money to join a crossfit gym. It was an AMAZING workout and so much fun! One day. *sigh

So far we've run over 200 miles, spent more than 9 hours in the pool, countless hours on the bike, and lots of gu chomps and gatorade in between. Oh and this week our training starts to "peak." (Meaning we run like 11 miles in the middle of the week). Good thing I have some time off work. Bad thing is that I have time off and 3 hours of the morning will be on the road. But what comes after the peak? The taper baby.

Almost there. The end is in sight. Or is it the beginning?

Christmas Part I

2011-12-20T18:53:00.001-06:00

We went to GA last weekend for some much needed family time. I HAD to get home to see these chickas who I haven't seen in 3 months! Oh to be at BYU again...

Last week was a busy, stressful week (mostly for Kyle w/ finals). And this week is not much different. I'm still not done w/ shopping and cannot believe Christmas is in less than 5 days! ahhh! Off to go wrap some presents.

my favorite things

2011-12-09T19:50:00.000-06:00

Remember how Oprah used to have the Christmas special Oprah's Favorite Things? and give away all the amazing free stuff to the audience??!! I always wished I was there. Actually, I always wished I could go to the show in general. That was something I never did on my bucket list. Go to an Oprah show. Shoot.

So I guess I'll just have to come visit you Caitlin in Chicago and stalk Oprah. And maybe run the Chicago marathon too. I hear that's a good one.

Anyways, one of my most favorite things, or places, is Target. We have a love/hate relationship. You see, Kyle is studying tonight and naturally it's the most convenient and fun way to Christmas and grocery shop all at the same time. So I stop on in. And come out with several things I do not need. The cutest scarf ever (merry christmas mekelle, love kyle), blue bell ice cream on sale, everything to make Paula Deen's strawberry pretzel salad bc pinterest has me craving it, and ingredients for saltine toffee because Candice and I talked about it yesterday and now i can't stop thinking about it!

With our treats in mind and the trip to Target, this could be considered at attempt at an Express Christmas, don't you think?

If you watch Modern Family, you'll understand.

night run

2011-12-07T20:43:00.001-06:00

This is what it looks like running on a cold Wed night at 5:30pm in Birmingham. There is a group of us. But wearing all black is probably not the smartest idea. However I do have a sweet headlamp. Yes, that's right. It saves me from getting hit by cars and spraining my ankle. And it's the cool night runner thing, don't worry.

Want to know how to run your fastest mile? Follow a couple speed demons on a run where you don't know where you are. It forces you to keep up with them even if you don't want to. Being cold and thinking about a hot shower and Modern Family at the end helps too. I think we ran our fastest mile tonight. boo ya! 8 miles. check!

Afterwards we were talking to those speedies and found out that she ran cc at GA Tech (ok that explains a lot) and they were telling us all sorts of fun things about marathons. Things I learned-- and I quote:

"My calves were still sore 3 weeks later."
"The first marathon is the best because you're so naive. You don't know the pain you'll be in at the end, so you're more relaxed."

Awesome.

a little explanation

2011-12-04T15:36:00.000-06:00

So what have the Besses been up to this weekend?

A whole lot of nothing too exciting. Dinner date, movies, relaxing, + a little studying here and there.

We tossed around a few Christmasy date ideas, but I was too lazy last night to go walk around outside. Yesterday my day was devoted to one thing: a 20-mile run. Literally, that's all I did. Wake up, run, ice bath, nap, and then it was dinner time. No clue where the day went. Kyle will say the same thing, except he was inside learning important doctor-to-be stuff.

Sorry to blog about this, but this is the furthest I will go until the race, and the furthest I have EVER run in my life--- so I must document it for me to remember so that I will either read back and remind myself never to run another marathon again, or remind myself that I can do it. Because I really did it. Bam. AND with NO music. (double Bam).

7am: Stephanie and I met and ran 9 with a group of girls who forced us to run slower than usual. Thank goodness bc we tend to go a little fast and then die at the end. And we needed all the extra energy we could get. We hit up all the runner friendly water stops (the Shell station, Track Shak) and saw about 30 other runners along the way. Which is always so much better to know you're not the only crazy one out there at 7am on a Saturday doing a long run. The weather was ideal (40-50 degrees and then 60 when we finished) and I felt better than anticipated. My joints didn't hurt as bad as usual and I was in less pain than I thought I would be. SO all in all and 3 and a half hours later, the 20-miler was a success!

Sometimes I wonder, why am I doing this? Why do I love doing races so much and always having a schedule that tells me what I need to run each day? Well here's a little history and explanation... My whole life I was a dancer. Every day growing up was devoted to school and dance practically, and there was always a performance that I was working towards. Now that I no longer dance I feel like races are my "performance" that keep me motivated and pushing my body on a physical level. Dance will always hold a special part in my life, and I'm grateful for the lessons it taught me: always push yourself, even through the pain, and the importance of hard work and goals.

So there you have it. The dancer that created a runner and racer.

ditto

2011-11-30T20:22:00.000-06:00

Well sadly it did not snow yesterday. I even turned on the TV hoping the news would say the roads were covered in invisible ice that I just couldn't see out my window. but no... which meant we still had to get up @ 5:15am to head to the gym before work/school. I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of enjoying the early morning workouts. I feel like I can actually run faster and do the sprints without completely dying. And tonight, I felt good. I can tell I've gotten faster and stronger already (still a long way to go though). My abs however, are killing me. I better have a 6-pack after this. just kidding.

(Tonight we did 1 slow warm-up mile and 5 miles @ 7:50 pace)

Other thoughts...

I really love seeing commercials on TV that our company produced. I feel like I'm living my dream job. Bc I am.

We listen to Christmas music at work and I'm in heaven.

I get to see my sisters (bff) in 2 weeks! I cannot wait.

I really really want The Help to come out on DVD already.

And I think this is really funny....

turkey and a chance of snow

2011-11-28T19:43:00.001-06:00

I really cannot believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone it's almost December! I love this time of year so much. We had a great weekend down in south GA at the farm. There was a lot of hunting (well sorta... it was pretty hot), football, napping, eating, eating, and eating. I must have been too busy partaking all the turkey, dumplings, peas, cakes, etc. that I seriously lacked on the picture taking. whoops. Here's a couple. The rest you can use your imagination.

Saturday I did manage to burn off a little turkey w/ my own "turkey trot" along the country road. It was a warm 75 degree day and the 18 mile run couldn't have gone much better for A.) being alone (lone runner that is, Kyle followed me in the car), B.) running on the backroads where the terrain is a little uneven and C.) eating tons and not having done anything for 2 days prior. Makes me wanna take the backroads... quote it.

So now it's back to life again. Work, school, and studying by the Christmas tree of course!

Oh and did I mention that we are supposed to get some SNOW tonight! I'm a little excited just thinking about it. Hoping at least one day this year I can have a snow day. It has been a while since one of those.

ice ice baby

2011-11-21T21:04:00.000-06:00

Where did the weekend go? It was great. Things that got done around here: studying, studying, Christmas tree assembling and decorating, studying, Breaking Dawn, running, church, and more studying. I'm sure you can guess which ones I did. And by the way, Breaking Dawn was good. I liked it. A little more graphic than expected (which I haven't read the book so couldn't expect a whole lot) and it definitely made me not ever want to get pregnant. And made me think I was all at the same time. Now I just need to read the book so I see what happens from here...

And I did make it home alive after the 17 mile run. Barely. It was by far the hardest run of my life. Maybe it's because I hit the wall at mile 10. I knew it was a bad day. Gah I just couldn't get my mind right. Did I mention running is SO mental. Oh did I also mention it was sprinkling when we began? Mmmm hmmm. Thank goodness Steph carried me through. I let her go a little at the end. Not gonna lie, I stopped at 16.5. Stopped. I told myself I could sit there and wait as long as I needed, but I was going to run the rest of the way. So a minute or 2 later, I hit the road again. And wanted to puke when I got to my car. Awesome I know. Hopefully this week's 18 goes better!

What felt surprisingly better than I thought was this:

My first ice bath. I did it and my legs thanked me afterwards. Here's to a short work week! Wahoooo

work, the weekend, and twilight.

2011-11-18T17:03:00.000-06:00

So Kyle and I have lived here for over 3 months now. I've currently passed my 90 day review and Kyle has almost completed the first 1/2 of his 1st year. Time is flying! Thanksgiving already?

And today I was just feeling thankful. I love my job. Kyle is loving school. And even though it's busy and hard sometimes, life is good. Some people have asked what I do at work... FitzMartin (We launched our new website, go Andrew!) I love being in the advertising business-to-business marketing world and learning more each day about social media, etc. Oh and did I mention I get to blog at work too? The company blog of course. It just feels good to use my brain again. I definitely went through the whole "I miss college" stage for about.... ohhhh I'd say a year and a half after I graduated.

AND did I mention we're going to see Twilight this weekend? You know you want to. A bunch of girls from church got together last night for a midnight showing and pre-party. I'm a wimp and didn't do the whole midnight showing, however the party was pretty awesome. The girls went all out. Loved it!

most dreaded day of the week

2011-11-15T19:52:00.000-06:00

Tuesday. Kill my legs Tues. I'm cursing that book right now. But I have to remember, this is supposed to be hard. Work was just an average day, and I was looking forward to the gym for one vain reason.

Last week I got some new running shoes that are heaven on my feet, and a new nike tank top for $12.95. That's right. Nike. $12.95. Getting a deal like that on work out clothes brings me almost as much joy as crossing a finish line in them.

I fully believe you can get pumped up by going and getting a new workout outfit. (even if it is just a shirt).

So yes, I was excited to take my new shirt for a run. About 15 minutes into the workout, it would've taken a lot more than a new outfit to make me excited about doing what I was doing. Today was one of those just-get-through-it days.

New shirt, new shoes, and workout:

10-20 minute warm up
run .62 miles @ 4:16 (about 8.3-8.5 on the treadmill)
rest/recovery jog for .25 miles
Repeat 5 times

On a side note, I heard Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas Is You on the radio today. Meaning the Christmas season has now commenced for me. And I'm counting down until our tree goes up. 3 days.

weekly dose of chocolate milk

2011-11-12T17:18:00.000-06:00

You know what's great about finishing a 15 mile run? #1- finishing. #2- the recovery drink.

That's right. Chocolate milk. Did you know that chugging some of this within 30 minutes of the run will reduce muscle soreness? Yes please. The best thing to refule is something with carbs and protein (1 gram of protein to 3 grams of carbs). And chocolate milk falls in that category...boo ya!

You know what else was great about today???
-I had a running partner (my friend from Homewood... guess who convinced her to do the marathon w/ me??!!)
-Got everything on my Saturday "to do" list stuff done
-and there was a gorgeous sunset tonight!

I hope everyone else is having a good weekend!

banana shake

2011-11-10T21:03:00.000-06:00

Well this week has flown by. And I'm not going to lie, my legs are t.i.r.e.d. I hope I get over this constant fatigue. Anywho, I'm training for this marathon because the book (Run Less Run Faster) has the most motivating schedule that encourages cross training instead of 6 solid days of running. (run 3 days a week and cross train 2) Only running 3 days a week, easy right?! Ha ha ha

This week so far:
Monday- cycle for an hr
Tues- sprints on the treadmill (fastest 5 mi of my life. killer)
Wed- 6.5 miles
Thurs- Swim for 40 mins

Tonight the swim felt so good. Every time I put on that cap it takes me back to my summer league swim team days and I can't help but smile. I do feel bad for everyone else who witnesses me in that same swimsuit I've worn since those swim meets. Not a fashion statement Mekelle's lane. My thoughts while I was swimming:

-I could use some music right now
-oh wait, I can kind of hear the music from the water aerobics class going on
-is that guy paralyzed? Yes, yes he is and he's swimming laps! Ok, if that's not inspiring, I don't know what is
-I'm starving
-maybe I'll just go join the water aerobics. no, keep swimming.
-I can't wait to go home and drink a banana shake

Speaking of banana shake... let me share a secret healthy shake that tastes so refreshing (especially after a work out). I'm serious. I crave this almost every day. All it is is almond milk and frozen bananas. That's it. It is so delicious and healthy.You could add protein too if you want. Go try it! Thanks mom for getting me hooked.

It's Time.

2011-11-07T20:49:00.000-06:00

So I decided last week I'm going to go for it. I'm just going to do it already.

2.12.12. Mekelle Bess is running the Birmingham Mercedes Marathon! 26.2 miles. Bring it.

I might have temporarily lost my mind...but I do love to run, and I've done 6 half marathons, and it's on my bucket list, and and and...why not just do it while I have the time? No kids, a busy husband, I need to do something besides work to keep me sane.

Am I scared? YES. The things I'm worried about? running long distances alone (mentally this can be tough), and training in the winter. However, it will be so much better than training in the humid summer here. So bring on the winter running capris, jackets, etc. Wanna know what I'm asking for for Christmas? you got it.

Training kicked off with 15 miles on Saturday. I broke my personal distance record. Broke through the 13.1! Kyle met me for the last 5 miles and was a lifesaver. Poor guy had to go a little slower than he would have liked I'm sure, and we did take a breather at one point.... :)

I think I'll be stealing this from Kyle the next couple of months

So I decided that if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right. I mean stay hydrated, eat healthy, train like I'm supposed to, drink the right recovery drinks, take ice baths after 17+ mile runs, etc. I DO NOT want to get injured. (the main reason I've been so hesitant in the past)

So I invested in this guy last week. (TJ Maxx i love your deals). I thought 15 miles made me legit enough to use one. And I was really excited about taking gatorade with me. Turns out, a mile in I couldn't stand having this on so I hid it in the bushes and picked it back up at mile 9. I was grateful for it at that point and it no longer bugged me. I'm pretty sure my mind was on other things by that point.

The rest of the day I lounged around and did the shuffle around town. You know, the walk where you don't really pick up your feet. Surprisingly my legs were good to go today. It's amazing what the body can do.

25

2011-11-05T22:49:00.001-05:00

25 years ago Kyle was born here in Birmingham. At the hospital that's just right down the road from us. awww. Friday night we went to Cheesecake factory. Yum! We went out Friday bc Sat was the "game of the century" and we were not going to be missing that. So we opted for pizza and Dr. Pepper while watching the game and relaxing. We also enjoyed some BEAUtiful fall weather outside at the park for a little lunch picnic.

Kyle's now made the big step-- from 1 pack of candles to 2! Those candles looked good on Gigi's lemon cheesecase that I attemped to make for him for the first time. I think it turned out pretty darn good for the 1st time. I prefer the strawberries and whipped cream instead of the lemon, but the lemon is his favorite. I think Gigi would be proud.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sensitive, amazing, handsome, hard-working, smart husband. I'm pretty lucky.

a good excuse

2011-11-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Friday! Yessss. This weekend will be a fun one here bc someone has a birthday.... the big 25! We are planning to party. Beginning tomorrow night. Actually tonight. Because I justified not running or working out because I obviously had to make his birthday cake. Ya, that and the fact that my legs are still a little fatigued since I didn't really let them fully recover since Saturday.

And yesterday I got a book in the mail. A book. That I was REALLY excited to get. (This is a rare occasion for me bc I hate to read) Anyways, I've been doing lots of research and reading and I'm really excited to see how this new running/training schedule goes.

Anyone else read this book or done this training schedule?

race results

2011-10-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

Today was the Silver Comet Trail Half Marathon and it was a blast! This one definitely topped the list as one of my favorites. And it should've considering I got my best time yet! 1:44 and 2nd in my age division. I left with a smile on my face and a little pain in the legs. I credit this girl for making me run hard this morning:

Pre-race tiredness/awkward picture on a chilly, dark morning.

Just trying to keep up with this former cross country star from our high school about wore me out! But I'm sure grateful for the push. even though I can't walk right now.

I missed you KYLE! So the question is now... How many halfs till the full???

creepy crawling things

2011-10-26T21:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight was festive. Halloween parties alll night. Homewood run celebrated the "official last run" (NOT) of the season. With the time changing soon it will be dark @ 5:30pm. Bring on the head lamps/lights, this running party ain't stopping any time soon. It's only just beginning...

Post-run there was a rockin' party on the square w/ food --chips, cokes, hot dogs, you know, all the food runners like to eat. Hello, that's why we run. Oh and the thriller dance performed was my favorite part! Next year, sign me up for the dance! just kidding.

Then we headed over to trunk or treat at the church where our costumes were oh so impressive. Runners. So original I know! The kids however were adorable! My first child will be a chicken. girl or boy. I wish I had the picture to show you just how adorable the little chick was.

And last but not least, let me leave you with my halloween tale of creepy crawly things that made me gag at work today:

Rewind. So yesterday I came down with a sore throat. Last week everyone at work was sick, and a week later it hit me. ugh. So sweet Kyle decided to "help" me last night and get me a cold glass of water and a ricola in bed. The lights were off in the room and kyle proceeds to place it in my mouth bc "it's sticky."

Fast forward. This morning I grab the bag of ricola on my way out the door. I get to work and go to pop one in my mouth only to find this:

Ants. Dead ants. I tried to convince myself it was probably just this one. But, the next 3 I opened looked exactly like it. The only difference was the number of ants. SO last night I ate ants. And if there ever is a chinese medicine tale that involves ants and healing sore throats, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't work. But if you want to test your gag reflexes, it's good at that.

down south

2011-10-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

We had a fun weekend.

Can it be Friday again?

friday and an anniversary weekend

2011-10-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else so happy it's the weekend??? This week was b.u.s.y. (note the period emphasis) and kyle left me for a couple days to go fishing. How dare he take a couple days without me and do something fun since August. He deserves it.

In Kyle's absence I worked, ran, and cooked like I was single again. aka- leftovers and cereal.

My Friday night= 8 mile run with a new found friend from the homewood running group. Our love for running on a cold Wed night, or on a Friday night for that matter makes us instant friends.

This weekend also marks the anniversary of mine and kyle's 1st olympic triathlon. Oh what I would give to be at Lake Powell this weekend with Kyle and Becca! I realized this this morning driving to work and was a little tired... tired meaning I'm sensitive, which means I can cry easy. You get the point.

memories...

my brain hurts.

2011-10-19T21:23:00.001-05:00

It was one of those days. Numbers, budgets, numbers, budgets... whew! I was just really needing the Homewood group run tonight by the time 5:30 rolled around. And guess what? It was chillly today. I mean chilly. I went running in this...

rocking the Provo half shirt. I love that race. My homewood friends don't know what they are missing. Running capris saved my legs today and the wind made me feel like I was running down the canyon again. ha.

Dinner w/ Kyle, then more work, now it's Modern Family time. I did wake up this morning thinking it was thursday (i hate that), but I'll take Wed night... or friday....

Monday fun day

2011-10-17T18:55:00.000-05:00

1st day of fall break.

Kyle golfed, Mekelle worked, and together they ran.
Our Monday family nights usually consist of the same activity. we're predictable.

done and done.

2011-10-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

Running makes me feel soooo good. Yesterday was great and I didn't die of loneliness during the last 7 miles like I was a little nervous about. However, I will say that I took a little snack along the way that certainly gives me a little boost. I'm telling you these are like candy. SO good. And I'm not a fan of all that liquid gu crap.

The ipod shuffle was a pretty good companion too. Afterwards I took a trip to the store to get 1 thing, and came home with all of this. Interesting post-run cravings.

Can you guess what I'm making? What do you crave after a run or workout?

Oh and in case you're wondering.... I love to run, I have a recent love for running blogs, and running is my new best friend while Kyle is gone. Here's to a new blog name and new adventure for the Bess duo. Now I'm going to go take a nap. those little rascals during the primary program practice about did us in today :)

he's back!!!

2011-10-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have my husband back! Fall break is great. For 10 whole days Kyle won't have to study. anything. I'll get him all to myself! All weekends, all nights...minus my work days :( It's been a while and this girl is excited!

And to add to my excitement, I came home to these babies yesterday. Kyle has known I've been wanting them, and since we're going to the farm soon, he totally surprised me with them just in time. Hello new rain/farm/outdoor/awesome/super comfy boots!

Thank you Kyle! Man I love fall.

Alright, I'm off to run 12. Nervous about the distance, excited about this weather though. hello sun. And only 2 weeks till the Silver Comet Half!

48 hrs

2011-10-10T21:23:00.000-05:00

was about how long I was in Utah last weekend. Let me first apologize to all my friends and family who I didn't get to see. I wish I could've seen everyone and been there longer! It was such a short trip. Too short. Too fast. And unless you live north of Salt Lake, I probably wasn't in the area for more than a couple of hrs. It actually just feels like a blur... but a fun one!

So, the reason for this last minute travel?

Meet Candice Arnold. She's one of my best friends that has been with me during the many changing stages of my life from about Sophomore year, until the day I moved from Utah. We met in our news writing class, applied and got accepted into the advertising program at the same time, had all the same classes for the last 2 years of school together, lived together, worked at the BYU Daily Universe together, graduated together, and then worked at Bisco together.

So ya, the thought of me missing out on her wedding made me sick to my stomach.

the gorgeous Mrs.

Some of my favorite memories w/ Candice... costco lunch breaks, the $5 taco bell box, carpooling to the salt lake center, bombay house, daily walks at Bisco, hiking up the stairs everyday to school from our apt and back home again, the park, and all our advertising classes (the wig boy ha), Gossip Girl, Nielson's, and so much more...

weekend feelings

2011-10-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

happy. rested. loved. uplifted.

That pretty much sums up the weekend. So I realized we don't have any "conference traditions" yet, which is ok i guess bc usually we are up in salt lake for at least one of the sessions. But not this year. It was just me, Kyle, and our laptop.

Football games were fun this weekend too. We watched the end of the Bama game w/ a group of medical school kids and their girlfriends/wives/fiances. Outside. with blankets and heaters, crisp cool air, good company, food, drinks, etc.

And let's not forget about Friday night. So I texted a good friend and Utah State alumni on Friday "Go Cougars!" This is what I got in return....

I was cracking up.
I did be sure to thank her, and Utah State, for Riley Nelson.

the happy list

2011-09-28T20:53:00.000-05:00

So there is a certain blog that I love to read and if you're reading this and you follow her, you'll probably know I stole this idea. (hint-rockstar) I like to call it the happy, grateful list. Because after all, I'm pretty grateful for the things that make me happy.

So here are 10 things that bring me bliss:

1. kisses and back scratches from my honey
2. getting a steal on clothes/jewelry (shopping!!)
3. BYU
4. the feeling that comes when you cross the finish line of a race
5. phone calls/skyping with family
6. running
7. vacations
8. Publix sugar cookies w/ M&Ms
9. Modern Family and the Amazing Race
10. Sunday afternoon naps

Defying Gravity

2011-09-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to GA for Brandon's birthday and for a be-lated celebration for my birthday... "Wicked." Fri night Brandon chose crab legs and dinner @ Red Lobster. Followed by this AMAZING chocolate cake made by none other than Memselle herself.

Um...can someone please tell me where the time has gone. 15! really?

And he's taller than me

Can't you just see this now? Ya, we need a puppy.

On Saturday Kyle and I headed out for the matinee of Wicked at the Fox. Oh my! This is MY FAVORITE broadway show. The music is amazing and the story is unbeatable. I loved it! Kyle liked it too :) I just love that he happily goes to girly things like this with me.

Seeing it again brought back some pretty fond memories...

London, England. Europe study abroad 08'

cooking is like running

2011-09-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

Some do it because they love it, others because they need to. Some enjoy the practice, others just make it a daily task. And some days you feel like you can conquer the world, while other days it's not so easy.

Let's just say that 7 out of 10 times, cooking for me is the latter part of the statements. Maybe it's because it seems that most times I'm either burning something (trying to multi task), spending more time cleaning up the kitchen that actually making the meal, and frustrated that things don't always turn out when I follow the recipe exactly. I do, I swear. My lack of patience, now that may play a factor...

Seriously though, by the time you go to the store, spend 20 bucks on ingredients, and 1-2+ hrs in the kitchen, what is more frustrating than something NOT turning out? You tell me.

This weekend me and the kitchen were not friends.

Exhibit A- Sat night. Church chili cook off and pie eating contest. 1.5 hours and a burned pie crust later.

pie crust #2

Then there was the chicken pot pie I've made 4+ times that decided not to turn out like it usually does...

And now I'm going to go eat my gooey, didn't-quite-turn out-like-they-should have, I've-made-better "no bake" cookies.

case and point.

And, what in the world happened to the cougars on Sat???? I'll blame this all on them. bad bad luck. and super embarrassing.

Where were you?

2011-09-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

10 years ago today I was sitting in my freshman World Geography class when the next door teacher came running in and told us to turn on the TV. We watched the first tower fall, and then the second one. 9/11 is a day we will all never forget. I can't believe it's been ten years!

On a lighter note, yesterday was just a great day. The weather here has been UNbelievable. We went exploring to find a new running trail and were pleasantly surprised by the jemison park trail! I think we've found a new run we like. I'm trying to fill the void in my life that the Provo river trail has left... sigh. Just ask Kyle. I've only had a couple of "I miss provo" breakdowns, and most of them revolve around 1. missing family and 2. missing our workouts together. And no, not our gym workouts (however I do miss the classes @ 24). I miss the bi-weekly bike rides up and down the Provo canyon, the 8 mile run from vivian park to the riverwoods, and mostly, training for our races together w/ our sisters.

Ok enough of that... we love birmingham, we do.

handsome husband and I went to the temple

taking a study break

Here's to a new week.

Labor Day

2011-09-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to hurricane Lee, we had a ~~nice~~ relaxing Labor Day in Dothan. The rain created the ideal situation for reading and naps. And we did it. 3 days in a row. With some football intermixed too of course. AND some movie nights with Madea, popcorn, and Mitchell.

What a fun weekend it was! Thanks for having us down Greg and Brenda!

Now it's back to the books and work....

Oh but did I mention that today the high was 65. Heavenly! Although it probably won't stay for long. I'll take the taste of fall though.

Beth Ann

2011-08-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

Ok so I just have to post this video of this girl from Dothan, AL who is in the semi finals on America's Got Talent. Kyle's family knows her family pretty well and it's been so fun to watch her. This girl is an AMAZING dancer. And that's an understatement. And she is only 14. 14! Professional in the future? ummm YES. She's got my vote all the way!

Go Beth Ann!

my favorite app

2011-08-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

This Nike Training Club app is the BEST. Becca introduced it to me, and I love it. Pick your level, find a goal, choose a workout, set your music, and go.

If you love a good workout like I do, let me just tell you, these workouts will kick your fanny!

the routine

2011-08-18T18:07:00.001-05:00

We are starting to get in the routine. You know, like school. You have your schedule and it basically repeats itself. ex) school/work, work out, dinner, study if you're Kyle, some TV, bed. M-F.

It's good to be back in the routine. I love my job and the fact that my commute, I mean drive, is 15 minutes! No more Utah construction.

Our Sundays just got a little more interesting too.... To sum it up, "Jesus wants me for a sunBEAM!" We are excited to teach the little ones.

Kyle was also recently inducted into his first year of medical school at the white coat ceremony last weekend.

the boys weren't very interested in the ceremony

Tomorrow is Friday! And we're going to see "The Help." Happy early weekend!

Not a drill.

2011-08-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

So Kyle texted me at work today... "the apartment across from ours is on fire."

Then I saw the smoke from the freeway. And by the time I got home, the roof was gone. And everyone was outside watching their homes burn. I'm sure glad this wasn't our building! Guess who's getting renters insurance tomorrow? You should too.

Lucky.

2011-08-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

You know what's great about being in AL? That one of my best friends is from Alabama and I got to see her on Friday. With little miss Bailey too!
And getting to drive home for the weekend to see Tiff and Brad and my family. 2 hrs door to door.

Summer's End...

2011-08-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

Our summer came to a quick end. But it sure was a fun one. Some highlights that I haven't documented yet... 1. Destin with the family

2. 4th of July at the lake. Sun, family, food, and water balloon launching.

3. Carter left on his mission. You can learn more about what he's doing the next 2 years here.

First things first.

2011-07-31T19:24:00.000-05:00

So this week I discovered something pretty awesome. My first new friends here= the Birmingham Track Club. They meet everyday of the week in a different location, and you can run anywhere from 3-8+ miles with the group. All ages, all people, all paces. And there's water and gatorade throughout the course.

I was hesitant never having done something like this, but desperate to find a good run outside. And it was GREAT. Kinda like a mini race. But free. Definitely a highlight of the week for me.

Settling In.

2011-07-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

We're here. We're moved in. And life is good so far. Last week at this time, I may not have said that. There were definitely tears of frustration and stress. Let me just say this loud and clear for everyone living at the Halladay Apartments... You are getting a great deal. Enjoy it! And be grateful.

Anyways, Kyle is now a UAB Blazer. Monday was the first day and he left at 7am and got home at 7pm. Let the fun begin. Oh and the former Miss Alabama is in his orientation group. Kinda cool i guess.

I've just been GPS-ing my way around town and job hunting. But I love the area so much! And the apartment is great too. We found a great yogurt place close to us, the best shopping center (The Summit) in Birmingham is less than 5 minutes away, and I can't get over how pretty it is with all the rolling hills and trees.

I think we're gonna like it here.

from Mormon state to Obesity Epidemic.

UAB.

2011-07-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had everything planned out and then something happens and your life suddenly takes a 180 degree turn? Well I guess that's what makes things interesting.

Thursday night we were walking around the Baytown Warf at Sandestin (enjoying our family vacation at the beach) when Kyle's phone alerted him of an email. No big deal. It's Thursday night. It's probably just junk. He reads it and this time it was far from spam. He turns to me and tells me, "I've been accepted to UAB." In Birmingham.

Ok ok. So we've had our life planned out to go to Mobile since January. We've got a house we've signed a lease for, I've got a nanny job set up, and we're supposed to move August 1st. What now? This decision can only change the next 4 years of our life. And really effect the next 9 years of our life.

Friday was the day of deliberation. Kyle had his pros and cons list going at the beach and we were going back and forth. But by the end of the night, we knew what was best. UAB offers more opportunities in the long run and is a top 25 school. There is just no way he could turn it down. Plus, Birmingham is going to be SUCH a fun place to live!

So in the next 8 days we will be finding an apt, moving to Birmingham, and Kyle will be officially starting medical school. Oh did I mention, Kyle starts school a week from Monday?!

Here. We. Go.

Marry Me

2011-07-10T17:41:00.000-05:00

Mr. & Mrs. Blunck~ 7.9.11

Everything turned out perfect. The weather was great, the food was delicious, and the yard was exquisite! Now it's time to send off a missionary.

18

2011-07-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday someone celebrated her 18th birthday...

Happy Birthday to my sweet sister! You are going to have a BLAST at BYU. Love you!

I remember when...

2011-07-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

My curfew was the street light. My parents called my name, not my cell. I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn't eat what was cooked for dinner, I didn't eat. Sanitizer didn't exist, but you could get your mouth washed out with soap. I rode a bike without a helmet, getting dirty was ok, and neighbors loved you as much as your parents did.

I couldn't resist re-posting this. Being a kid sure was great.

Showers and a Fish Fry

2011-07-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been all things wedding in Dothan. Right before Kelly came to visit, Abby had 2 bridal showers in one day...

Kelly flew in the next day and we had a paaaarty! You could find us 1 of 3 places... the beach, lake, or eating good ole southern food. Oh and of course we planned our Monday around the Bachelorette!

Her 1st fish fry (prob only my 3rd). She loved the fish and the "puff daddys" too. (Aka, hush puppies). Thanks for coming Kel! Love ya!

Crooked Island

2011-06-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

I love the Gulf. We grew up going to these white sand, warm water beaches and love being home and within driving distance to them again. We took the boat out to Crooked Island (just off of Panama City) last week and enjoyed a day on the beach. To ourselves. (and a few dolphins)

Good day.

My own kind of paradise

2011-06-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

Father's Day weekend was spent at Compass Lake with the Bess family. We had a yummy shrimp broil and lots of fish! It has sure been fun getting to spend lots of time at the lake this summer. Enjoy it while it lasts, right?

Last week we also met with the lady who is going to rent her house to us! We are so excited. It's the cutest midtown area with what seems to be a lot of younger families. Things are coming together. But I don't want summer to end any time soon.

Meet Kellie

2011-06-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

It's been 3 years since we met. We sat together in our prep class and were instant friends. We met up in the JFK airport and got on the plane with the 30 other awesome people and headed for a TRIP and SUMMER OF A LIFETIME.

We traveled the world together and were best friends on the study abroad (T-9 I miss you). And we still are. Each summer we've managed to meet up again. Last year in Cali, and this summer, she's coming to the south again!

I can't wait!

Home

2011-06-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Is where the heart is. Family time this summer so far= priceless. Spending time with long lost friends from high school has been fun too. Preparing for a soon to be gorgeous wedding for my sister-in-law, just another plus.

We took a trip to Mobile too. First time experience for me and it was great. We are hopeful about renting the cutest little house in midtown. We meet with the lady on Thursday, so we will see what happens. And I have an interview for teaching dance.

We got an addition too... (no not a dog, I wish). A 2007 Honda Accord. We came across it at the right time, right place, and right price so we couldn't pass it up!

I posted a picture of the car on Instagram, which like everyone else has said, I love it!!! That and pinterest. I just can't stop thinking about decorating a new place.

Until another post,

-Mekelle

St. George Triathlon

2011-05-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we did the St. George Triathlon and it was such a blast! It was a tough one for me, and Kyle felt better about it than I did. He rocked it and cut off about 10 minutes of his time! My time was exactly the same (minus the 3-5 minutes it took me to fix my bike chain that came off on me coming downhill. I had a minor freak out, but fixed it right up.) It was a HOT day and it was a more intense race than our first one, but we loved it!

Kyle was able to catch me finishing the run bc he was in the first wave of men to start the race. I was so tired after that 6 mile run. I was just happy to see him and to cross that finish line!

1 mi swim, 25 mi bike, 6 mi run and a mean tan line from it! That is one thing we are REALLY going to miss about Utah. The races!!! Thank you Utah for getting me addicted to them-- 5 half marathons and 2 triathlons later.... oh the fun memories! And loved every minute of them.

Day 3

2011-05-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

After 25 hours in the car, we woke up Tuesday morning with only 6.5 to go. Thank goodness! So we drove through a part of Mississippi and then through

Where we will soon be residents! I was pretty excited when I saw this sign though...

And we made it. We survived. We didn't kill each other, we laughed, we wanted to cry sometimes, and we avoided the bad weather! (we were only 45 minutes from where the Joplin tornado hit the day before!) And it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Day 2

2011-05-24T21:11:00.000-05:00

Day 2 we got up early(ish) and left by 8am for Oklahoma. It was a beautiful and green drive the whole day. We even drove past Carrie Underwood's hometown. They had a huge freeway sign, but I wasn't quick enough to catch it on the camera. So the next best option was the water tower.

Then on to...

And finally, we were greeted by a rainbow over the bridge as we came to Memphis, Tennessee. That night we met up w/ Kyle's friend from high school for some bbq.

By the end of Monday, I was ready to be done. Luckily Tuesday was only 6.5 hours!!! It was tempting to just go ahead and do it Monday, but after 11 hrs, we didn't think we could make it.

Day 1

2011-05-24T19:51:00.000-05:00

So it took us 3 days in the car, but we finally made it to GA! I had to document the trip of course since this will be the one and only time I do it! (atleast for a loooong time) Wednesday we loaded the truck and did it in 30 minutes. I think this was a record move time. We could NOT have done it alone though. Thank you again SO MUCH for all those who helped! We have the greatest friends and people in the ward.

I'm not quite sure when it will hit me that we are gone for good. The past 5 days are just a blur. Let's start with day 1 of driving (Sunday after the St. George Tri): 5am we left St. George and headed for Arizona!

And I was thoroughly entertained by the wild horses we saw (that I thought only existed in movies) and tee-pees. There were so many Indian reservations and more signs that said "Don't Drink and Drive" than I've ever seen in my life. I honestly loved driving through Northern AZ. It was so pretty!
Next we drove through New Mexico, which didn't have a whole lot to document. But then, we reached a taste of the south.... TeXaS! We finally got to Amarillo and called it a night.

We saw the biggest cross in the USA and after a 14 hr day, called it quits.

Dance girls

2011-05-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

I feel like every day I'm saying another goodbye. Goodbye my little ballerinas! The past 2 years has been fun!

Idaho

2011-05-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

We spend Mother's Day weekend up in Idaho w/ grandma and grandpa Relyea and it was so fun! Ramon and Kiera brought up little Beau and we just couldn't get enough of him!

He melts my heart :)

Downtown @ the market

Thanks for letting us come spend Mother's Day with you Grandma! We love you so much!

Moab

2011-05-05T14:54:00.001-05:00

What do you do when you're done with work and school and have some free time to kill before you move across the country? Go somewhere warm I say. So, we did. We headed down to Moab Tues and came back last night. It was definitely on our list of things to do before we left and we loved it! Lots of biking and hiking and time in the SUN.

Devil's Garden
We did some road biking off Potash road and it was gorgeous!

Bowtie Arch

Delicate Arch

Such a fun trip!

Gone and Damaged

2011-04-30T15:25:00.000-05:00

Is our current car situation. You see, yesterday, all before 9am, we had an eventful morning. It started as I was driving to work on my LAST day of work. (yay!) So I've been commuting to south SLC for almost a year and a half now, and on my last day of commuting, I become the infamous person on the side of the road (that I can't stand) that causes traffic by bringing out the "incident management" truck with all the bright lights and unwanted attention. Except it was not my fault. The little teenager behind me swore she was "paying attention" when the traffic slowed to a stop, but she just couldn't stop fast enough and BAM. Hit me. Awesome. I was NOT a happy camper seeing that we are supposed to drive to Moab and Boise in the next couple of weeks, and we only have my car. Yep, we only have my car because at 8am yesterday, a man from Salt Lake came down to check out the Beemer and decided to buy it! What a huge relief! We are so happy we sold it before the big move.

Speaking of the big move, the moving truck is officially coming May 17th. Wow, soon. I know! We will be rolling out of Provo in good old Rolla May 20th. (luckily the damage isn't too bad, just a scratched up, dented bumper that we'll get fixed before then of course)

So all before 9am yesterday, we sold the BMW and the Corolla was hit from behind.

I'm so excited to be done with work and for summer to begin! If summer weather ever comes. That's a whole other post... this morning was freezing. And we can't walk.

How Great Thou Art

2011-04-27T19:01:00.000-05:00

This is why I love country music. This is why I love Carrie Underwood.

Graduation

2011-04-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Kyle graduated with a BS in Exercise Science. And what a handsome, smart, incredible doctor he's gonna be. South Alabama here we come!

Casey and Kyle have been in all the pre-med classes together and are good study buddies and friends.

Kyle chose to have his graduation dinner at Market Street Grill (seafood lover!) and it was so delicious! We also got to be reunited with our New Zealander yesterday. I'm so happy Becca is back in UT with us!

Elder Bess

2011-04-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

This afternoon we headed over to Helaman Halls for Carter to open his mission call! August 24th Elder Bess will head to the MTC and will be serving in the Ogden, UT mission, Spanish speaking.

You will be an awesome missionary Carter! We are so excited for you!

For Sale

2011-04-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

The time has come to part our ways with our BMW. It's been a fun car full of lots of memories, but it will be better to drive 1 than 2 cars across the country.

So thank you Beemer for taking me on my first date w/ Kyle, driving us up to Park City safely in the snow so many times, driving us up to the Alpine loop where Kyle proposed, moving us into our first apartment, coming back to us when you were "stolen," and for just being a good car. You will be missed.

Now we just have to sell it.

Help

2011-04-09T17:18:00.000-05:00

I need to get out of the state of UT asap. This weather is driving me nuuuuts.
This is not ok for April. And might I remind you, it's been snowing, slushing, raining, and everything else nasty since Thurs night. I just have to keep reminding myself that next year, I'll miss it. Next year, I'll miss it. Next year...
So as of now we are still going to be in Mobile, AL. Kyle is officially on the waiting list at UAB in Birmingham. SO come visit us at the beach ok?

Other exciting things... we got to see our favorite friends in Cali this past weekend! And what a fun reunion it was!!!
AND it looks like there is a wedding in the Bess family this summer. Abby and Korbin will tie the knot in the Atlanta temple July 9th! I love weddings.

Congrats! We are so excited for ya'll!

Atlanta Temple Open House

2011-04-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

This weekend was conference weekend where we were able to hear messages from our prophet and apostles. I love the feeling of peace and comfort I get when I hear these. Something I am particularly grateful for is that I can be with my family forever. Almost 2 years ago I was sealed to Kyle in the Atlanta temple. I wish I was there go through the open house this month, but I'm so excited to go back when we get there in May!

Git-r-done

2011-03-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

Friday night we got in touch w/ our red neck side and laughed until we cried. Oh my gosh. If only words could explain how funny this show was!!! We laughed about presents, colonoscopies, red-neck weddings and jokes, and "I believe"s. If you ever have the chance to see them on tour, GO. You will not regret it.

Peter Pan

2011-03-16T19:28:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I escaped a few days of work and cold for some time in the sun and in... Neverland. Kaley, my little sister, was Wendy in Peter Pan the ballet and it was an AMAZING production. Incredible dance talent, characters flying on stage, and so much more. I never realized how professional these productions are until I found myself sitting in the audience. I'm so grateful for those experiences I had as a member of Ruth Mitchell dance theatre. Watching Kaley brings back so many sweet memories.

Kaley, you were the most beautiful Wendy I've ever seen and I'm so proud of you!

I also got to see Brandon bat like a pro at his baseball game. The 70 degree weather and sunshine definitely made that even more fun!

So I realized there are some things I am looking forward to when we move back to the south and that is 1) being able to get a sunburn in March
2) seeing things bloom before June
3) getting a banana pudding milkshake from Chick-fil-A whenever I want (TO die for!!!!)
and lots more.

Lately

2011-03-05T10:25:00.000-06:00

I feel like it's been forever since I've updated and I can't believe it's already March. We are officially in our final stretch of the living the Provo life. (lots of mixed emotions) I can't believe how fast time is flying!

Last weekend we babysat this cutie and had so much fun w/ her. I'm convinced I need just one girl to dress up as cute as this one... Just one! please?

We also got to see Mom and Kaley 2 weeks ago, and then Dad and Brandon for a little bit too. Oh and good news, Kaley got accepted to BYU!!!

Highlight of this past week was definitely dinner and FHE w/ grandma Johnson. I love her so much. If I could be just half the woman she is, I will be lucky. We are going to miss Christian and Alondra a lot too! It's sad they are moving. But we're next.

Other updates... I'm still loving the Bachelor and am anxious for the finale, I'm fighting a cold right now and it's driving me nuts, I love my husband so much, I'm excited to run the Thanksgiving Point half marathon w/ our friends Blake and Aubrey (if only I could run right now), and I'm going home this weekend to see Kaley dance in Peter Pan. Oh did I mention, I'm going home this weekend?!!!!

Month of...FAMILY!

2011-02-19T11:33:00.000-06:00

February is the month of love and family for us. We were so lucky to have Greg, Brenda, and Mitchell come out to ski last week. What a fun family vacation! We stayed up in Park City with them and had 3 great sunny days of skiing, hot tub relaxation, and fun dinners and game nights.
We also had some other visitors stop by this week...
It's been so fun to spend time w/ family and see everyone. And the month isn't even over yet. Our next visitors come in 2 day! wahoooo!!!

ATL Weather recently...

2011-01-29T19:31:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago ATL was hit w/ 6+ inches of snow and the kids were out of school for a WEEK! This video just cracks me up!!!

Meet

2011-01-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

The big man on campus that is leading the nation in scoring with a 27.4 point average.

JIMMERRRR!!!! What a game. What an awesome game.

Spotted on Main Street

2011-01-23T18:59:00.000-06:00

So after an awesome powder day at the Canyons, we stayed up in Park City and went to the Sundance Film Festival. I've been going up to this since my freshman year so of course we had to do it one last time! I've never seen any of the movies; most of the time we just get dinner, walk up and down Main Street, and keep our eyes peeled for celebs. (anyone who knows me knows I love looking out for the rich and famous...)
This year we did the same. And although I didn't see Paris Hilton like a couple years ago, we did spot a couple familiar faces.

#1- Paul Mitchell. Not the school. The Paul Mitchell. After we saw him practically run into the Bing Bar, we hung around figuring more celebs would show up pretty soon. Sure enough, Kyle spotted another "guy who's in movies." (I had my camera out now)

#2- Oh hey Neal McDonough!
You may recognize him from The Guardian, Star Trek, Angels in the Outfield, Forever Strong, etc.

You never know who you'll run into up there during the film festival!

Try it, you'll see...

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-06:00

runner's high

noun

Definition of RUNNER'S HIGH

: a feeling of euphoria that is experienced by some individuals engaged in strenuous running and that is held to be associated with a release of endorphins by the brain.

most recent experience: tonight. Thank you Provo for warming up to 50 degrees so I didn't have to go to the crowded gym and wait for a treadmill. A nice run outside + The Bachelor. Great night! :)

Happy Monday.

Bucket List

2011-01-09T11:41:00.000-06:00

This weekend we checked something off on our bucket list of things to do before we leave in May. We went snowmobiling! And let me tell you, it was so fun! Last minute we headed up Fairview canyon w/ Rachel and Tyce for some quality cabin time, snowmobiling, a little snowboarding, roof jumping, etc. There was so much snow it was CRAZY! Enjoy the pictures.

Thanks for such a fun weekend Tyce and Rachel! Love you!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T12:34:00.000-06:00

It was hard to top 2009, but 2010 treated us well. Some favorite times from 2010:
-Jan: booked the cruise
-Feb: Bess family ski trip and a weekend in Park City
-March: Michael Buble. (Best. concert. ever.)
-April: Kyle's first half marathon and our first half together.
-May: Kyle took the MCAT and rocked it.
-June: Our 1st year anniversary. Time flies!
-July: met the family in CA for 4th of July and the Johnson family reunion.
-Aug: went to the beach in Mazatlan, ropes course in Puerto Vallarta, soaked up the sun in Cabo, and made fun memories w/ some of our closest friends before we parted our separate ways :(
-Sept: Kyle's first med school interview
-Oct: our first triathlon @ Lake Powell.
-Nov: Thanksgiving in GA.
-Dec: Kyle's interview and acceptance to South Alabama Medical School!

Bring on 2011!

Christmas in AL part II: The Farm

2010-12-30T14:48:00.001-06:00

The farm= oysters and fried fish, bonfires, hunting, and quality family time.

Christmas in Alabama

2010-12-26T22:25:00.000-06:00

It's good to be home. (And for the record, we missed it, but there was a WHITE CHRISTMAS in GA. oh my!)

Chemists

2010-12-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

Future doctors.
(this picture just makes me laugh!)

Retired? I think not.

2010-12-18T16:56:00.000-06:00

My little sister laughed when I told her, I doubted myself and tried to avoid it, but nonetheless, it is true. I have traded in my running shoes for the month of December for these babies again. I know, I know, it's been a while. Just 4 years, that's all. But, I will admit, it is fun and brings back so many memories. It's also fun to dance on stage with my snowflakes that I teach.

Timpanogos School of Dance presents The Nutcracker.

Start spreading the news...

2010-12-12T11:33:00.000-06:00

We just might be moving to Mobile, AL this summer because Kyle was officially accepted to the University of South Alabama Medical School! We are so excited and especially thrilled that we heard something this soon. We are still waiting to hear from UAB (univ. of alabama birmingham) before a decision is officially made, but things are looking good. We will keep ya posted.

Well nothing can quite top the news we found out yesterday, but we did have a pretty awesome snowboarding day at the Canyons. We also had a lot of fun making Christmas sugar cookies and hanging out with good friends last night. All and all, we have had an awesome weekend!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T18:58:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful time at home in GA with all the family at my house for Thanksgiving. I also got to see 3 out of the 4 shows that Kaley performed the Sugar Plum fairy in. She was BEAUTIFUL and I'm so happy we were able to go home for the weekend!!!

Deja Vu

2010-11-23T20:36:00.000-06:00

We've known for days that it's been coming. The bitter cold temperatures and snow. But at some point today the winter storm warning turned into a BLIZZARD warning. I thought it was just a little of an exaggeration as I sat at my office looking outside all day and not seeing 1 snowflake, but I slowly started getting nervous.

Utah State got cancelled. Then the U of U, then BYU, then offices, and then everything was closing. We were all advised to go home early because once this storm hit, it would be about 15 minutes before a total white-out. And salt wouldn't touch this stuff. And it could take 4x as long to get home. And KSL went on and on...

Apparently, there has not been a blizzard warning in the state of UT in 10 years, so I consider this a record and worth a blog post since I am still here to experience this. I hope it's not as big of a deal as it has been made into all day. I pray I can get to work tomorrow. (I made it home only to be accompanied by lots of wind, thankfully!)

So in 5, going on 6 years of living here, nothing has ever been closed because of snow. I seriously had to question if I was in UT or GA. Because with all the drama of this blizzard, I feel like I am in GA again just waiting for the snow. Quick, go get bread and milk because it's likely we will be snowed in...forever!

Feeling Thankful

2010-11-21T10:41:00.000-06:00

This week is Thanksgiving and I can hardly wait!!! I get to see my family, see Kaley in the Nutcracker, and have 2 days off work! WAHOO! Some things I am grateful for:

My Hubby. (who celebrated his bday Nov. 5)
My Job. (even if it is a love-hate relationship)

BYU.

My friends.

My Mom.

My little puppy.

Kyle's family... best in-laws I could ask for!

A healthy body.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

And that Kyle got another interview! South Alabama, December 8th. YAY!!

Season's End

2010-10-31T13:58:00.000-05:00

We finished off the month of October off with a bang. I love the Halloween Half down the Provo canyon. I'm really gonna miss it. But more, I'm really gonna miss running with her...

Later we busted out our costumes.

Happy Halloween Ya'll!

Lake Powell Triathlon

2010-10-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Kyle, Becca, and I headed down to Lake Powell for the Lake Powell Triathlon. We have been looking forward to it and training since the end of August and it was everything we expected and more! We did the olympic race-- 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, and 6 mile run. It was a blast!!!

Loading up the bikes on good ole Rolla.
Getting ready to take on the first event...the swim!
(check out the lady next to me . She was intense. She had on her Ironman visor and let's just say she rocked us all. wow.)

Kyle was in the first wave of participants. Kyle finishing the swim...

Me finishing the swim
Kyle getting ready to take off on the bike

Me taking off on the bike
Finishing the run!
AND we're DONE. And tired.

We wanted to get under 3 hours and we did it with 15 minutes to spare. It was definitely worth it and we are already looking forward to the next one!!

Provo River Trail

2010-10-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

Tonight Kyle and I were out for a jog on the Provo River trail when we ran into Stephanie "Nie Nie" Nielson and her adorable family out for a family bike ride on their madsen bikes.

She is one. inspiring. woman.

Wow.

It's never too early

2010-10-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

To lend a helping hand.

This was the cutest thing I've seen. I just had to capture it.

Fall

2010-10-11T22:29:00.001-05:00

Kyle loves this time of year because every Saturday consists of ...

I love...

And seeing Kyle excited for his chucker hunting w/ Carter and Tyce (he was SO excited Rachel) and seeing the end results cooking in our kitchen of course :)

One thing leads to another

2010-09-27T18:40:00.000-05:00

It has almost been a year since my first half marathon and I am glad to say I am still loving them. Kyle has been doing them with me and I LOVE training and running the races with him. Yes, we run together the whole time and it's awesome!

Aug. 21st we did the Hobble Creek Half and were so excited when we crossed the finish line and saw 1:45. Our best time yet. We placed 7th and 9th in our age divisions. It was so fun seeing Keith, Kari, and Genise running too.
We've been doing a lot of road biking too. I am really going to miss our Provo canyon bike rides in about a month when it's too dark and cool to do a ride after work. :(
So, we've combined our running and biking, and have been spending a lot more time in the pool to prepare for this:
Lake Powell Triathlon here we come!!! Anyone want to join us?

I am so lucky...

2010-09-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

to have my sister out here with me. I don't know what I'm going to do when she leaves for New Zealand in Jan! Thanks for the dinner, sleepover, and running companion this week Becca. I love you!

Unexpected News....

2010-09-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

We found out tonight that Kyle got an interview at The University of Alabama Birmingham Medical School!!!! September 30th! This is it.

We are SO EXCITED!

Bike Thief

2010-08-30T21:46:00.001-05:00

Last Wedn the night started like this:
And ended like this:
So here is the story. In honor of Steve and Steph...

Last Wedn, about 8pm we got a call from our neighbor Analee. She asked us if our bikes were parked outside and proceeded to tell us what she had seen. She told me how she had just left the apt and saw a 40 year old, tan, weird looking guy walking around suspiciously before taking off on a bike that she knew didn't belong to him. We immediately ran outside and sure enough, discovered the new neighbor's bikes had been stolen.

Whether it was the guilt we had of failing to warn them about the bike thief from the past, or wanting to get revenge on the dude who probably stole Steve's mountain bike, Kyle immediately decides he's going to go catch him. Joe (another neighbor) hops in his truck and Kyle on his bike, and with a little teamwork, they track him DOWN.

Joe screeches around the block and lets Kyle know which alleys he's riding down. Kyle ends up cornering the home boy and as he's catching up to him, watches him completely wipe out in the middle of Center St. Apparently he had turned around to see where Kyle was and woops! Turned his bike a little too sharp.

So road rash and all, bike man takes off on foot. Kyle goes over to the police station and Joe picks up the crashed bike on Center St. The police end up catching him on foot and Kyle meets them to identify the guy.

But not only did they catch the thief, but they found the other mountain bike that was hidden under a blue tarp in the parking lot of the apt complex that Kyle and Joe originally found the thief in.

So Steve, we searched through the numerous bikes that were under that tarp hoping to find yours. Sadly we did not. But the new neighbors were relieved and Kyle & Joe were pretty happy to see the guy ride off in the cop car. Oh Provo!

Mexican Riviera

2010-08-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

Last week we cruised the Mexican Riviera with some of our best couple friends! These are the people we met after we were married and moved into our apt complex. The past year we have had so much fun together. Such a great way to end the summer and say goodbye to some...

Day 1: We boarded Carnival Splendor in Long Beach, CA and danced as we sailed away
Day 2: At Sea and formal night #1

Day 2: At Sea. So basically the boys did this EVERY day...

Day 4: Peurto Vallarta= Zip Lining! 12 zip lines and a mule ride back up to the top made this day complete.
The not so pretty beach after the zipline adventure

Day 4: Mazatlan. We went to the beach all day. It was so hot!

These kids were so funny. They had a live lizard on a string by its neck. They were asking people if you wanted to take a picture with it for only a small fee. We traded cereal for a picture with them :)
Day 5: Cabo San Lucas. We enjoyed our day at the secluded "Lovers Beach" and it was beautiful!

Day 6: At Sea. Not so great weather. BUT we lucked out all the other days.

At night we lived it up dancing, singing karaoke, and enjoying/making fun of the crappy dancers.

Such a fun week!

Feelin' the Heat

2010-07-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

We certainly did this in St. George last weekend. Call us crazy, but we decided to head down Friday afternoon and enjoy the heat (only 111 degrees!) by the pool during the day, and dinner, games, and Neilson's custard at night. It was fun to spend time w/ our good friends Steve and Steph who are heading to CA in a week to start optometry school. And of course celebrate Heather's bday. Good friends, good times. We are so lucky!

Riding the 4-wheelers to the pool

The guys had a dart tournament going on all weekend. We always knew where to find the boys.

Happy Birthday Heather!!!
3 little girls, 3 "little" big girls. The boys captured this moment. Impressive huh?

After lunch the girls headed back to the pool while the guys played darts.

We had so much fun!

Speaking of fun... I cannot WAIT to get back to UT and spend the weekend with Kyle and his little bro Mitchell who is visiting. I've been in Cali since Sunday night for training for work. It's been really informative and good, but it's time to go home. 2 days!